Advertising sign



May 2, 1933. J {,ALK 1,906,668

ADVERTISING SIGN Filed Sept. 8, 1932 amil a Z i n I (lttowup Patented May; 2, 1933 UNIT D-"1 ST v .m.1ums vein, or LARNED, KANSAS.

ADVERTISING SIGN Application filedsepternber 8,' 1932. 7 Serial 1T0.682,237.

This invention relates to advertising signs and has for an object toprovide a sign upon which advertising matter may bedisplaycd by the roadside for advertising the wares of merchants, location of hotels, and forvarious other purposes. f i

A further ob'ect is to provide an advertise ing sign which forms aframefor a novel windmill which is mounted and so constructed as to attractattention tov the sign and which in use will operate effectively, forlong periods without attention other than periodic supplying the bearingboxes. with oil.

Afurther object is to provide a sign embodying windmill vanes r-andflicker vanes above and below-the windmill "vanes, the flicker vaneseach having areflecting portion exposed to the sunlight andzaportion. inshadow to produce the flickering effect, and

' lend. to the. general appearance and attractiveness of the sign'aswell as rendering the sign more noticeable than usual in signs of thistype. I I

A further object is to provide an advertis- 5 ing sign that will beformed of a few simple, durable, and inexpensive parts that willnoteasily get out of order and will withstand exposure to severe weatherconditions.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists incertain novel details of construction and combinations of partshereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood thatvarious modifications may be resorted to within the scope of theappended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any ofthe advantages of the invention. 1 f

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, I

- F gure 1 is a front elevation of the sign,

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical cross section taken on the line 22 ofFigure 1,

Figure 3 is a detail horizontal (section is taken on the line 3+3 ofFigure 2 showing the curved windmill vanes, I t

Figure 4 is a plan view of one of the blanks from'which the windmillvanes are formed, 1 i I Figure. 5 .is a detail horizontal section takenon the line 55 of Figure showing the flicker vanes, and I Figure 6 is aplan view of one of the flicker blanks. v t

Referring now to the drawing in which 55. like characters of referencedesignate simi-, lar parts ,in the various views, 10 designates astandard which maybe embedded n the ground at the lower end andatthe'upper end is curved to provide anarcuate frame 11 of aboutthree-quarters ofthe circumference of a circle in length. The standardmay be formed solid or tubular and preferably is formed of metal. Theextreme end of the frame is closed bya cap .12to prevent access ofmoisture to the frame and standard.

In the present embodiment of. the invens tion, a ring 13 ismountedconcentrically in the frame ,11 by .means of a plurality of screwhooks 14 whichare, screwed into the 7 0 outer periphery of the ring andencircle the frame atspaced intervals. Removal 'ofthe cap 12, it isevident, will permit the ring to be rotated on its axis until the hookspass in sequence into the gap between the frame '15 11 and thestandardlO so that the sign may be removed when desired. Both side facesof the ring may be equipped with printed matter to advertise the nameand wares of individual merchants, or. the locationof ho tels, touristhomes, and for'other purposes which meet the needs of. the individualowner. k Preferably the-ring is formed of wood, although metal may besubstituted, as desired. Furthermore, although a ring. is shown, itisnot essentialthat the sign be annular in contour, sinceit may besquare, triangular, oval, or of other desired shapes.

To attract attentionto the sign, a combined windmill and flicker deviceis mounted to turn on a vertical axis in the enclosure of the ring, asshown inFigures 1 and 2. The device comprises an upper disk 15 and alower disk 16 between which arcuate windmill vanes 17 are mounted, bothdisks being 'preforated axially to receivea, shaft" 18 which, ashereinafter described, is rigidly, assembled, with the disks and turnstherewith. 4 y p v The vanes are each formed of an oblong blank, as bestshown in Figure 4, from the upper and lower edges of which project tabs19 and 20, respectively, these tabs being passed through slits 21 and 22formed in the upper and lower disks and then crimped over the disks tomount the vanes. As shown in Figure 3, the vanes are set near the edgesof the disks in an annular series and are inclined from the outer end tothe inner end sufficiently to catch and spill the Wind in the usualmanner to rotate the device. 7

Above the top disk 15 there is mounted a small disk 21 which is alsoperforated axially to receive the shaft 18, and likewise, below thebottom disk 16 there is mounted a small disk 22 which is axiallyperforated to receive the shaft 18. Disposed between the small disk 21and upper disk 15 there are a plurality of flicker vanes 23 and thesevanes are duplicated between the lower disk 16 and small disk 22. Thevanes are provided with tabs 24 at the top and bottom which are passedthrough slits in the disks at the top and bottom of the vanes andcrimped thereover, as above described. The flicker vanes perform nowindmill function. It will be noted by referring to Figure 5, that e thevanes are disposed in an annular series near the edges of theirrespective disks and the trailing edge 25 of one vane overlaps theleading edge 26 of the next vane in rear.

The lapped portions of the vanes provide V-shaped compartmentsexteriorly disposed of the vanes, and these compartments are in shadow,of course, while the exposed surfaces of each two contiguous vanes arein the direct sunlight or artificial light, as

, the case may be, and reflect the rays of light.

Thus reflecting surfaces alternate with the shadow surfaces so thatduring rotation of the device a flickering eifect will be produced onthe eyes to attract attention to the sign as well as rendering the signhighly ornamental and conspicuous for long distances.

It will be observed that the flicker vanes are frusto-conical incontour, as shown in Figure 6, so that when fabricated into the device,the flicker vanes form substantially frusto-conical flicker sectionsabove and below the central windmill section of the device. Thispeculiar shape of the assembled device disposes the windmill vanes wellout beyond the flicker devices, while at the same time, in the upcurrents or down currents, it will be evident, may be deflected by theflicker sections toward the windmill section of the device and promoteeasy turning of the device by light wind currents.

To complete the fabrication of the windmill and flicker device a pair ofhollow hemispherical caps 27 and 28 are secured at the edges to theupper and lower small disks 21 and 22 and are centrally perforated toreceive the shaft 18. A stop collar 29 is carried by the shaft againstwhich the lower cap 28 rests, and a nut 30 is threaded on to the upperend of the shaft against the upper cap 27. The nut and collar bind thedevice as a fixed integral unit upon the shaft so that the shaft turnswith the device.

An upper journal box 31 and a lower journal box 32 for the shaft aremounted in vertical alignment with each other on the inner periphery ofthe ring 13. The upper journal box 31 is in the nature of a smallcontainer having ears 33 through which screws 34 are passed to securethe box to the inner periphery of the ring 13. A filling cap 35 permitsthe box being filled with oil periodically to lubricate the bearingopening 36 formed in the bottom of the box.

The lower bearing box 32 is provided with ears 36 through which screws37 are passed to secure the box to the inner periphery of the ring. Acup 38 is mounted axially in the box and is provided in the bottom witha ball race in which ball bearings 39 are mounted. The lower end of theabove mentioned shaft 15 is provided with a tapered head 40 which restson the ball bearings, the latter forming a thrust hearing which receivesthe weight of the combined windmill and flicker device and permitsturning of on a vertical axis in said opening having an annular portionconstituting a windmill and having an annular portion provided withlapped vanes which produce alternate reflecting and shadow surfaces toconstitute flickering devices.

2. An advertising device comprising a standard, a sign carried by thestandard having an opening therein, and a combined windmill and flickerdevice in said opening including a central vaned section comprising thewindmill, and substantially frustoconical vaned sections above and belowthe center section having lapped vanes to provide alternate reflectingand shadow surfaces to constitute flickering devices.

3. An advertising device comprising a standard, a sign carried therebyhaving an opening therein, a shaft journaled at the top and bottom insaid opening, spaced disks carried by the shaft, wind vanes connectingthe disks, disks above and below said spaced disks and of smallerdiameter than the spaced disks, lapped vanes connecting the spaced diskswith the last named disks and forming alternate reflecting and shadowsurfaces to constitute flickering devices above and below the windvanes, and means carried byvthe shaft for binding all of said disks toturn as a unit with the shaft. V

4. An advertising device comprising a standard having an arcuate topsubstantially three-quarters of a circle in length, an

annular sign carried within the enclosure of said top, a cap on theextremity of said top,

securing devices disposed at spaced intervals around the outer peripheryof the sign and encircling said top, removal of said cap permitting ofsaid sign being rotated on its axis to permit of said devices passing insequence into the gap between the end of 'the top and the uprightposition of the standard to permit removal of the sign, and a windoperated flicker device mounted to turn on a'vertical axis in theenclosure of said annular sign. r

5. An advertising device comprisin a standard, a sign carried 'bythestan ard having a central opening, a shaft disposed upright within theenclosure of the sign, journal boxes carried by the sign for mountingthe upper and the lower ends of the shaft, a thrust bearing supportingthe bot- 7 tom of the shaft in the lower journal box, a plurality ofspaced disks carried by the shaft, arcuate wind vanes carried by certainof said disks, and lapped vanes carried by others of the disks above andbelow'the wind vanes and forming alternate reflecting and shadowsurfaces to constitute flickering devices. i

6. An advertising device comprising a standard, a sign carried by thestandard having a central 0 ening, oilfilled journal boxes disposed at te top and at the bottom of said opening,- an upright shaft journaled insaid boxes, a collar near the lower end of said shaft, a nut threaded onthe shaft near the upperend thereof, an annular wind vaned centersection carried by the shaft, upper and lower flicker sections car riedby the shaft having lapped vanes providing alternate reflecting andshadow surfaces, and hemispherical hollow caps above and below the lastnamed sections and confined by said collarand said nut against a saidsections for assembling said sections and said shaft as a unit. a

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. I r

JAMES VALK.

